Charlotte 2014 Picks Watch Thread

[HornetJail]

Plenty of talent on the Kings for years.

The Kings and the Pistons do not belong in the same sentence.

Detroit has always been revered for being the little engine that could, I'd never put it past them.

Calling them garbage is an absolute joke imo.

I think the Kings are a perfect model of a dominant young center stuck with talented teammates who have no clue how to play within a system.

you said "talented teammates". Are you referring to Rudy Gay, who Toronto dumped and immediately rocketed from the lotto to 3rd in the East? Are you referring to Ben McLemore who has been god awful all year? Jason Thompson? Derrick Williams? Quincy Acy? When you say "teammates" with a plural, you sound like DMC has more talented teammates not named Isaiah Thomas.

[HornetJail]

I think the Kings are a perfect model of a dominant young center stuck with talented teammates who have no clue how to play within a system.

Cousins is also a nut case and they have Rudy Gay who Toronto traded in an attempt to tank and they're suddenly the 4 seed

How is Rudy Gay different from Josh Smith? Are the Pistons going to somehow trade Smith? I'd like to see that one.

If they dumped him for free at the deadline they probably make the playoffs.

[MasterIchiro]

put Josh at PF he becomes tons better because he isn't shooting as many threes, Jennings is still gonna shoot bad but with Drummond eating rebounds and Smith helping out that shouldn't matter much and draft a SG or SF that can shoot and spend their large amount of cap space wisely

PG-Jennings
SG-KCP or pick or FA
SF-pick of FA
PF-Smith
C-Drummond

they will get out of Charlie V's and Stucky's contracts (8.5 mill a piece) let Billups go (2.5million), there is literally no way they get worse with that cap space, the #8 or better pick, Smith playing his natural position and a new coach and GM and they should get a decent haul for Monroe if they sign and trade him, and if they dont thats just more cap space

Put Stephenson alongside Jennings for toughness and an extra ball handler with a shooting small forward and that team is definitely better.

What if Stephenson doesn't want to play there? What if he signs with, I don't know, a better team with comparable cap space like let's say the Charlotte Hornets?

[Elden Payton]

Plenty of talent on the Kings for years.

The Kings and the Pistons do not belong in the same sentence.

Detroit has always been revered for being the little engine that could, I'd never put it past them.

Calling them garbage is an absolute joke imo.

I think the Kings are a perfect model of a dominant young center stuck with talented teammates who have no clue how to play within a system.

The Kings are not even close in terms of comparison, they play in the West for a start.

The Kings had toxic ownership and a somewhat good GM.

The Pistons have somewhat good ownership with a toxic GM.

Drummond+the East has a lot of possibilities going forward.

[MasterIchiro]

Cousins is also a nut case and they have Rudy Gay who Toronto traded in an attempt to tank and they're suddenly the 4 seed

How is Rudy Gay different from Josh Smith? Are the Pistons going to somehow trade Smith? I'd like to see that one.

If they dumped him for free at the deadline they probably make the playoffs.

So they couldn't dump him this year at the deadline but they can dump him next year? OK

[MasterIchiro]

The Kings and the Pistons do not belong in the same sentence.

Detroit has always been revered for being the little engine that could, I'd never put it past them.

Calling them garbage is an absolute joke imo.

I think the Kings are a perfect model of a dominant young center stuck with talented teammates who have no clue how to play within a system.

The Kings are not even close in terms of comparison, they play in the West for a start.

The Kings had toxic ownership and a somewhat good GM.

The Pistons have somewhat good ownership with a toxic GM.

Drummond+the East has a lot of possibilities going forward.

OK

[HornetJail]

How is Rudy Gay different from Josh Smith? Are the Pistons going to somehow trade Smith? I'd like to see that one.

If they dumped him for free at the deadline they probably make the playoffs.

So they couldn't dump him this year at the deadline but they can dump him next year? OK

They didn't try to dump him. They tried to get assets for him.

[MasterIchiro]

If they dumped him for free at the deadline they probably make the playoffs.

So they couldn't dump him this year at the deadline but they can dump him next year? OK

They didn't try to dump him. They tried to get assets for him.

OK so if they dump him they have Drummond + Monroe still and Jennings and KCP still and they draft Tyler Ennis because Jennings is a chucker. This is assuming a team is dumb enough to take J. Smith's contract.

[Diop]

put Josh at PF he becomes tons better because he isn't shooting as many threes, Jennings is still gonna shoot bad but with Drummond eating rebounds and Smith helping out that shouldn't matter much and draft a SG or SF that can shoot and spend their large amount of cap space wisely

PG-Jennings
SG-KCP or pick or FA
SF-pick of FA
PF-Smith
C-Drummond

they will get out of Charlie V's and Stucky's contracts (8.5 mill a piece) let Billups go (2.5million), there is literally no way they get worse with that cap space, the #8 or better pick, Smith playing his natural position and a new coach and GM and they should get a decent haul for Monroe if they sign and trade him, and if they dont thats just more cap space

Put Stephenson alongside Jennings for toughness and an extra ball handler with a shooting small forward and that team is definitely better.

What if Stephenson doesn't want to play there? What if he signs with, I don't know, a better team with comparable cap space like let's say the Charlotte Hornets?

I think he stays with Indiana, was just an example. I think Detroit could turn it around next year with new management and coaching.

[JDR720]

Smith is a moron but when he is played at PF he is really good, he can average 18/8/4 with 2blks and 1.5 steals on a decent shooting % easily, when played at SF he is bad he tries to play like a SF which he isn't which basically means chucking up threes

[HornetJail]

I just posted this on the trade board what do you think?
Detroit trades Smith and a heavily protected 1st (like top 20 otherwise 3 2nds or something) for Gordon
NO trades Gordon for McGee and Hickson
Denver trades McGee and Hickson for Smith and DET 1st

Detroit gets a much better fit. The contract isn't much better, but the fit is 500x better. Obvious swap is obvious.
New Orleans acquires the most athletic frontcourt in the NBA. Hickson is hurt but he'll be back. Same with Javale. Gordon is unnecessary.
Denver trades away their injured centers for a guy that would actually fit quite well on the roster with Gallinari IMO. He'd be their best defender and their most dynamic finisher at the rim for sure. He can pass too. Plus a pick.

It makes perfect sense. Unfortunately it also probably propels the Pistons to the playoffs.

[HornetJail]

Put Stephenson alongside Jennings for toughness and an extra ball handler with a shooting small forward and that team is definitely better.

What if Stephenson doesn't want to play there? What if he signs with, I don't know, a better team with comparable cap space like let's say the Charlotte Hornets?

I think he stays with Indiana, was just an example. I think Detroit could turn it around next year with new management and coaching.

I think with Evan Turner becoming more and more "affordable" with every passing game, the Pacers are going to have to ask themselves whether it's worth shelling out $10M for Stephenson or if they can settle for Turner at $6-7M a year?

[fatlever]

i know i am late to the party, but i really cant believe the pistons were outscrored 31-14 in the 4th quarter to lose to the cavs, the team directly ahead of them in the standings.

would commish silver like to revise his statements about never seeing a team lose on purpose?

ridiculous.

[MasterIchiro]

Portland 45 27 - pick 24
Golden St 44 27 - pick 23
Memphis 43 28 - pick 22
Phoenix 43 29 - pick 21
Dallas 43 29 - pick 14

[Liver_Pooty]

Will definitely be cheering for the Hawks tonight.

[fatlever]

terrible night for the portland pick. blazers won, mavs lost. thank you paul millsap and your 3-for-15. all-star my ass.

[HornetJail]

terrible night for the portland pick. blazers won, mavs lost. thank you paul millsap and your 3-for-15. all-star my ass.

Millsap, Derozan, and Johnson all made the all-star team over Big Al and Arron Afflalo. That is absurd.

[fatlever]

truthfully, at the time, millsap and derozan were deserving, as was al and lowry and maybe stevenson. joe johnson on the other hand was absurd. i dont think afflalo had any business in the all-star game.

[Marvel]

I wasn't even aware JJ made the all star team till i watched a replay of the game. I was like "what? Joe Johnson made the all star"? that's how in tune i am with the all star weekend though.

[dmutombo321]

Yeah, I dont think the loss of Kyrie is debilitating to them at all. Jarrett Jack is a highly competent veteran backup that would start on many teams.

Detroit is looking really bad and I dont know if Cleveland will be able to out-tank them.

Spoken like someone who hasn't watched Jarrett Jack this season. I said the same thing, I was ready to call him a near-average (like 18th-20th) starting point guard in a backup role. He has... well... disappointed.

Well, Jack mustve taken issue with your post as he's since averaged over 16 pts, 5+ assists on 50%+ shooting as starter during their past 6 games including 31 on NY the other night. I think its safe to say his early season struggles were a result of his playing fewer minutes with the Cavs second string behind Irving.

Unless Cleveland quits playing .500 ball and Detroit starts winning occasionally, I think that DET pick may be gone for another year.